


The Bostonian Adventures of a Displaced Almost-Queen

by gals_being_pals



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, And now I've seen half of it and I like my story better, Even though I'd never seen the movie, F/F, Family, Fluff, It's kind of like Enchanted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-04-23 23:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gals_being_pals/pseuds/gals_being_pals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Swan-Mills family/SwanQueen AU. 19 year old almost-queen Regina Mills is magically transported from her wedding day to the world of 19 year old Emma Swan. Adventures ensue, and are exacerbated by an adorable 18 month old boy named Henry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Due to the success of Supernova, I am posting a second fic on this site! All my work can be found on fanfiction dot net (galsbeingpals) but I plan to slowly move my stories over here, too.

So much  _food_. Emma's stomach growled angrily as she explored the corner store. It even had a bakery counter. Unable to resist, she swiped a bear claw and shoved it in her basket. She was really trying to cut down on the luxuries, she had two mouths to feed and a crappy job working security. The cashier was busy watching something on his iPad (porn, probably) and there were no other customers so Emma took her time. Stores still made her feel like a thief, even though she hadn't stolen a thing since she got out of jail and got the kid back.

Emma couldn't really remember not being hungry. There had never been enough food in the foster homes, even when the bigger kids hadn't helped themselves to half her share. These days, food went to the kid. Henry. He was 18 months old and the light of her life. His social worker was one of the good ones, she'd been very supportive in the first months when Emma was in jail, making sure he was safe and happy, and she'd helped Emma get her apartment ready and tick all the boxes to bring him home. She'd even helped out with the job, she said it was surprisingly common for ex-cons to work in security.

Emma looked in her basket. Fruit, vegetables, eggs, flour, syrup, pasta, soup… She'd been craving grilled cheese recently; she reached for a loaf of bread-

There was a blinding flash of light, knocking Emma to the ground as she scrambled to keep everything in the basket.

"Fucking generator," she heard the cashier groan. "It's knocked out my wifi."

Emma staggered to her feet, hitting herself on the side of the head in an attempt to stop the ringing in her ears. She checked the eggs. Not broken. She sighed with relief.

She reached out for the bread again, eyeing the light fittings in the next aisle warily, when her eyes met a pair of chocolate brown ones that had definitely not been there before.

They belonged to a girl, a woman, around Emma's age, with long, dark brown hair, wearing a giant marshmallow dress that belonged in a fairytale wedding. Emma's curiosity got the better of her; she shoved the bread into her basket and went to get a better look.

"Some explosion just then. I thought I was a goner."

"Excuse me?" the girl asked daintily.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Goner. Dead. I thought it might kill me."

"Oh. I… I am glad there were no fatalities." The girl looked around. To Emma's horror, she seemed to be about to cry. "Would you mind telling me where I am?"

Emma laughed. "Some trip you're on there, babe. You're in Boston, Massachusetts, in a shitty 24 hour grocery store."

"Is that some kind of market? I do not think I should be here, it is not appropriate. I am in my wedding dress!"

"Wait, you're a runaway bride? That's kind of awesome. Where did you run from?"

The girl seemed affronted. "I did not  _run_ from anywhere. I do not know how I got here, but I can assure you, I would never shirk my marital responsibilities!"

"Okay, lady, cool it!" Emma said, holding up her hands in surrender.

"I apologise." The girl held out her hand. "Lady Regina Mills. It is a pleasure to meet you, and I would appreciate your assistance."

Emma examined the hand. It kind of looked like Regina expected her to kiss it. She fist bumped it instead.

"Emma Swan." She put on a silly voice. "How may I be of service?"

Regina frowned. "Miss Swan, are you making fun of me?"

"Never. Okay, look, you seem like a nice kid so I'm just gonna grab one more thing and then we'll figure out what to do with you, okay?"

Regina nodded, though she was still frowning. Emma grabbed the cheese slices she needed, roused the cashier enough to pay, and grabbed Regina's hand to pull her out of the store.

"Unhand me, peasant!" Regina squealed. Emma let go halfway down the street.

"Peasant? Are you for real?" Were her jeans and tank top really that bad? Her wild blonde hair was actually having a pretty good day, or so she'd thought.

"Are you not a peasant, Miss Swan? It is clear from your attire that you are not of noble birth. In fact…" she let out a little gasp, "are you some kind of… lady of the night?"

Emma laughed loudly. "Fuck me, Gina, you're hilarious. You mean a hooker, right? I'm afraid not, though with you I might make an exception."

"You are despicably vulgar."

"My apologies, Your Majesty."

"There is no need for that. I am not the Queen yet."

"The fuck… You're going to be the Queen? Of where?"

"Of the White Kingdom, obviously. I am marrying the king later today… Only… We are not there, are we?"

Regina was looking around. Now that they were outside, it was obvious she was in a different realm. It was loud and dirty and packed with dangerous machines. She shuddered, then coughed at the fumes in the air.

"Wait, you seriously think you're from a place called the White Kingdom? Are you some kind of nutjob?"

"I am entirely in control of all my mental faculties, thank you very much. I am simply… Displaced."

"Okay, well, good luck Regina… I gotta go."

Emma paused. She felt weird leaving her. Regina was keeping it together with regal grace, but Emma saw the way she jumped every time a car went past. Emma thought about Lily, screwing up her life over and over, about all the families she'd tried to care for only to be kicked to the kerb. She didn't do people, they only led to heartache and pain. She had Henry, and he was all she needed. She couldn't risk letting anyone else into their lives just to mess everything up.

Decision made, Emma turned around, walking towards her car, Neal's one contribution to her livelihood.

"Miss Swan, wait!"

Emma kept on walking, though she could feel herself slowing.

"Miss Swan, halt, I command you!"

Emma wheeled around. "You have no right to command me to do anything-" Emma began, but she cut herself off when she realised Regina was crying.

"Hey, hey, stop it," she said. As a kid, she'd thought crying was a sign of weakness. She would have been the first to mock someone for tears. But since having Henry, it was as if her nurturing instincts had been awakened. She hurried to Regina's side.

"Look, my car's just around the corner, I can give you a lift somewhere."

Regina gathered herself, mortified at her display of weakness.

"That will be quite unnecessary, Miss Swan. I have no place to go. I must simply find a way back to my wedding."

She didn't seem keen, though.

"You love this guy, the one you're marrying?"

Sadness flickered across Regina's face, but she brushed it away instantly.

"Marriage is not a matter of love."

"Right. Uhm… Look, not to sound mean or anything, but why should I believe any of this? I don't think this is a scam, I have nothing worth stealing and you really don't seem to be a sexual predator, but-"

Regina snapped her fingers. There was some purple smoke, then a handkerchief appeared. She used it to blow her nose. It was the fanciest nose-blow Emma had ever witnessed. Not that she registered it.

"HOLY SHITBALLS!" Emma squealed, jumping back. "Was that-"

"Magic. Yes. I am becoming quite proficient. I was not sure it would work here."

"But if you can do magic, can't you just, like, magic yourself back home?"

"It is not that simple. My skills are still limited, but in fact even the most powerful sorcerer could not cross realms without a portal."

Emma thought about this. "Then… couldn't you go back through the portal you came with?"

Regina shook her head. "No. I am not sure exactly what it was, but it closed before I could return."

Emma took another moment to think. "Are you hungry?" she asked suddenly. Regina seemed confused by the question.

"I… I suppose so. But I will be quite alright, you may take your leave."

"I know that I  _may_ ," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "But if you want, bossypants, you can come too. I'm making grilled cheese."

"What is grilling and how do you do it to cheese?"

Emma laughed. "You're gonna love it. Come on."

Regina followed cautiously. She knew better than to trust this vagrant, but the realm was huge and terrifying and Emma made her feel safe, somehow.

Emma unlocked the bug and opened the driver's door, tipping the seat forward.

"You're gonna have to sit in the back, I'm afraid."

Regina touched the metal. She was dubious to say the least.

"Is this some sort of carriage?"

"Uh, I guess? It's a car, people drive about in them."

"I can see them… Miss Swan, I do not mean to offend, but this one seems rather… Battered."

"Oh, yeah," Emma said, banging the roof affectionately. "She's a wreck. But she runs like a dream."

Regina did her best to be elegant while clambering into the back seat. She was unsuccessful. Emma shoved the rest of her dress inside unceremoniously, then passed Regina the bag of groceries.

"Look after those, yeah?"

Regina seemed fascinated by the M&Ms Emma had grabbed by the till as a last minute treat. Emma clicked her seat back and jumped into the car.

"What is that contraption?" Regina asked. Emma looked in the mirror; she was pointing at the carseat.

"It's a seat for a kid, so they're safe. Oh yeah, seatbelt. You should put yours on."

"You have a child?"

Emma grinned, leaning around to show Regina how to put on her seatbelt. "Yeah. He's 18 months old. He'll probably scream at you. Fair warning. He doesn't like strangers."

"Where is he now? With your husband?"

Emma guffawed. "Do I look like I have a husband to you?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Well, I'm 19, for starters!"

"I am also 19. And you have a son…" Regina trailed off, blushing. Emma tried not to laugh at her.

"Maybe in your world it's different, but here, plenty of people have kids when they're not married. It's not that weird. Being married at 19 would be way weirder."

"So, the child's father is-"

"Not important."

"He does not support you?"

"I wouldn't let him if he wanted to," Emma said firmly.

Regina stayed quiet, not wanting to let on that she was impressed. She would never have been brave enough to live unsupported, and that was alone. She couldn't imagine trying to raise a child without a man's support. In the Enchanted Forest, she considered such a thing to be impossible.

"Right, stay in the car, I'll be two minutes," Emma said, leaving before Regina had a chance to protest.

Regina forced herself to stay calm. Pinned down by the seatbelt, she felt incredibly trapped.

Emma charged into the daycare. She didn't care that this place took half her paycheck - it was worth it. Henry was so smart, she would never leave him somewhere crappy. If she couldn't be with him all the time, she could at least make sure he was always with good people.

"Momma!" Henry squealed. It had been his first word. Emma beamed with pride every time she heard it.

"Hey there, big boy! Let's get your coat and get out of here. How do you feel about grilled cheese for dinner?"

"Hunwy." Henry announced. "Want more."

Emma chuckled. "Me too, kid. C'mon."

She helped him into his jacket then hoisted him onto her hip.

"So, kid, there's a friend of mine in the car," she said as she walked outside. "Be nice to her, okay? She's gonna stay for dinner."

Henry didn't answer. Emma ruffled his hair. They reached the car and she set him in the seat. He immediately stood up and turned around, staring at the newcomer. He grinned.

"Pincess!" he exclaimed. "Look, Momma, Pincess!"

Regina blushed. "I am not a princess, dear."

"Pincess," Henry declared happily. Emma chuckled.

"Come on, in your seat kid, so we can get home and make dinner."

Henry settled in the seat and Emma strapped him in. Regina leaned forward, enthralled by the child, if a little lost as to how to communicate with him.

"Hello," she said gently. Henry giggled

"Ello, Pincess."

Emma began to drive. "Kid, why don't you introduce yourself to the princess?"

Henry reached out to proffer a rather sticky hand to Regina. "Henwy," he said cheerfully.

"Remember what we practised," Emma whispered.

"Henry," he said slowly, being extra careful with the 'r'.

"Good job, little man!"

"Good afternoon, Henry. I am Regina Mills."

Henry frowned.

"Give him something he can call you," Emma suggested.

"Regina," Regina said slowly. She held back on My Lady. She had a feeling Emma would laugh.

"Dee-nuh," Henry managed. Emma chuckled.

"Hard sounds are easier. Apparently, when they have a dad, kids usually say Dada before Momma, because 'm' is more difficult to say. But Henry didn't have anyone to call Dada, so he went straight for me."

"You seem to be very proud of him," Regina commented.

"I am. I know what you're thinking, I'm too young, I'm single, I'm poor, I must be a terrible Mom, but I've witnessed a lot of bad parenting in my life and-"

"I was not thinking that," Regina interrupted. "In fact I was thinking the opposite."

Emma paused. She'd had a lot more ranting to do… "Really?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. He obviously loves you, and you him."

"Well, uh, thanks," Emma said awkwardly. "Hey, look, we're here."

She helped Regina and the shopping out first, then grabbed Henry and locked the car.

"I'm guessing you grew up in a palace?" Emma asked as she unlocked the main door of her grotty apartment building.

"It was more of a small fortress really," Regina said. "But I am grateful for your hospitality." She wrinkled up her nose.

"Yeah, it's, pi- uh, pee. You get used to it," Emma said. "Elevator's broken, we're on the eighth floor. Keeps you fit, though."

Regina was gasping for breath by the fifth. Emma, carting groceries and Henry, hardly noticed the climb. She leaned against the railing, waiting.

"I… am not used… to such… vigorous activity," Regina panted. Emma grinned mischievously.

"Couple of nights of marriage," she teased with a wink. She wished she could take it back, though, when she saw Regina's face.

They proceeded up the stairs in silence. Emma had been imagining the king as a cute, rich, young guy, kind and handsome, like a fairytale prince charming. But she realised as they walked that there was no reason why he should be.

They got inside and she set Henry on the carpet, surrounded with toys. Regina stood just inside the door, entirely out of her element. Emma figured she must be used to servants fetching everything for her. She didn't want to make a habit of it (habit? that suggested crazy lady would be staying) but she decided to do what she could to make Regina feel at home.

"So, you can sit right here," Emma said, shoving her book, blanket, glasses, and the newspaper to one end of the couch. "Unless you need to use the restroom?"

"What is that?" Regina asked. She sounded stern, but Emma was beginning to realise the more threatening Regina sounded, the more uncertain she probably felt.

"The bathroom, you know, if you need to, like, powder your nose?"

Emma was suddenly blushing. She thought she saw the hint of a smirk on Regina's face.

"Perhaps you would show me where it is?" Regina suggested.

Emma led the way, opening the door and then, for some strange reason, following Regina inside.

"So, I dunno what bathrooms are like in your realm or whatever, but there's the toilet, and you flush it with the little silver handle, and here's the washbasin."

Regina pointed to the faucets. "What are those?"

Emma turned one on. Regina gasped at the rush of water.

"Is that magic?" she asked.

"Uh, no, it's a faucet."

"But how is the water there?"

"Pipes," Emma said, hoping this would be the end of the questions because while she was quite sure indoor plumbing was scientifically explicable, she didn't have a clue how to lay it out for Regina. "Oh, and to get the soap, you push the top of the thingy and it comes out into your hand."

Regina looked around the room, bemused. Then she waited. Emma was still hovering.

"I think I will be alright on my own now, Miss Swan," Regina said.

Emma felt her cheeks turn crimson as she hurried out of the room.

"Oh, God, Henry, could I be more awkward?" she said to her son. Henry giggled.

"Pincess in da baffroom."

Emma loved his sentences. They were pretty much limited to something in or on the something, but that was still advanced for his age. Advanced. She grinned. Her kid.  _Advanced_.

"Right you are kid. Princess Dina's in the bathroom. Even princesses gotta go potty."

Henry giggled again.

"Time to get started on that grilled cheese!" Emma announced. She took out the ingredients and assembled the sandwiches. She hoped grilled cheese would be alright for a fairytale princess - okay, not actually a princess, but close enough. She knew from experience that anything was alright if you were hungry enough, but she wasn't sure Regina was quite there yet.

"Sssss," Henry imitated when the first sandwich hit the pan.

"Yeah, sss. It makes that noise 'cause it's frying. Making it all toasty."

"Snake."

Emma looked over at Henry, who was now with her in the kitchen area of their one main room.

"Yeah, you're right, snakes go sss too."

Regina appeared from the bathroom. Emma had heard the toilet flush. Welcome to modernity, princess. She grinned.

"It's almost ready."

"SSSSS!" Henry hissed at her. Regina looked perturbed.

"He's a snake," Emma said helpfully.

"Oh. Uh… Please do not bite me?" Regina said nervously, looking at Emma for reassurance.

"Say whatever you want to him, as long as you don't curse. I do. I mean, I don't curse. I don't think you would either. Do you even know any curse words? Maybe there are different ones where you're from anyway."

Regina smiled. "I know some curse words, as you call them, Miss Swan. And I also know not to use them in front of an infant. I am not a fool."

Emma rolled her eyes at the now-cooked sandwich. She flipped it onto a plate and started the next one.

"Why don't you tell us about where you're from? Henry loves stories, and you have such a fancy way of speaking, I'm sure he digs it."

"Excuse me?"

"God, you don't know anything, do you? Digs means likes, it's slang, I guess."

Regina held back the snide remarks that came to mind, largely for the sake of the child. "Very well," she said, seating herself primly at the table. "I am from the White Kingdom. I was aware that there were other realms, but I had never been to one before today. I do not know how I got here, though it is fascinating. Much of what happens here seems like magic, though you do not seem accustomed to my forms of the craft.

"There are a few thousand people in the kingdom. The poorest are peasants, slightly below farmers… We do not have any buildings like this one. Most houses are all on ground level, though wealthier families have better structures, and some of these are built higher. The palace I was to be married in, and had already moved into, had four levels, not including the dungeons.

"I had never ridden in a carriage like yours. I rode horses. I have not seen a horse here." She said the last part a little sadly.

"You like horses, huh? We have them, not so many in the city, but in the countryside."

"I used to ride a great deal. Horses are majestic and intelligent creatures."

"I haven't ever met one, but they look awesome, I'll give you that."

Emma finished the last of the sandwiches and laid out the plates, cutting the coldest sandwich into bite size pieces and putting it on a plate along with some carrot sticks.

"Time for your chair, kiddo," she said, swooping down and lifting Henry into his chair. He grinned.

"Gilchy!"

"That's how he says grilled cheese. Here's yours," Emma said, putting a plate in front of Regina. "I can get you some silverware; we usually just eat with our fingers."

"Silverware would not go amiss."

Emma chuckled yet again at Regina's language, and produced a mismatched knife and fork. Regina ate like a queen as she watched the Swans devour their food. She tried not to judge them, reminding herself that manners were different in different realms, and also that she was not her mother. Yes, they were peasants, but Emma seemed kind, and was helping her though she had no duty to, and Henry seemed sweet and well cared for. Their home, apartment, Emma called it, while tiny and cluttered, was clean and somehow… Welcoming. Cosy. A place where one liked to be.

It felt bizarre, trying to explain her land, to justify her existence in a place she shouldn't be. She wondered why Miss Swan was helping her. Had their positions been reversed, she was fairly certain the woman would have been hastily escorted to the dungeons and never spoken of again.

The food was good. It was unlike anything Regina had ever eaten, though there were many dishes in her land she had simply never been allowed to sample. She had to maintain her figure, though she was not supposed to exercise too much, as that would make her look "manly". The answer was a strictly controlled diet, which her mother had enforced since she could remember.

"Want another one?" Emma offered.

Regina looked down at her empty plate. She hadn't realised she'd finished.

"Henry's going to have an ice pop. It's just frozen fruit and water, I get the healthy ones. They turn him into a sticky mess, but he's getting a bath after… I'm gonna have one too. Want in?"

Regina assumed the question was an offer of the frozen fruit dessert.

"How do you keep them frozen?" she asked, eyeing the magic box Emma took them from with suspicion.

"I'm afraid electricity is a magic even more complicated than plumbing, but it's all the science kind, again."

"Perhaps science magic is not so different from mine. According to my tutor, my magic comes from emotional energy."

Emma thought back to the few memories she had of physics class in high school. "Makes sense," she said in the end. She gave Henry his ice pop, then held one out to Regina.

"It's strawberry. Go on. You pretty much have to try it, it's like, a delicacy."

Regina did not roll her eyes, because rolling one's eyes is not ladylike. She accepted the ice pop and watched as Emma tore into hers with her teeth then sucked on the hole she had made.

Regina just about managed to eat the dessert with some semblance of dignity. Emma stuck to Henry's evening routine, bathing him and putting him to bed. She showed Regina her bookcase, but while the woman expressed an interest in reading, she didn't take any books. When Emma left Henry in the bedroom, Regina was sitting on the couch, her back straight, her posture perfect, and her eyes tired.

"I've been thinking," Emma said.

"Do not strain yourself on my account, Miss Swan."

Emma laughed. "You made a joke. I like it. Anyway, I don't work tomorrow so you can hang out with us, and you pretty much have to sleep here, unless you suddenly got your Earth legs and you wanna skedaddle. The kid'll freak if I don't sleep in our room, so I'm afraid you'll be stuck with the couch, but we can make it into a pretty swell bed, though I say so myself."

"You are too kind, Miss Swan. I value any hospitality you can offer me. I hate to be an imposition. I really… I do not know why or how I am here. Or why you believe me."

"It's too crazy to be a lie, and too provable to be crazy," Emma said with a shrug. "And why not help you? You're funny. And beautiful."

At this, Regina seemed to shrink inside herself. "If you expect me to earn my keep by pleasing you I-"

"Wait, what the fuck? I was  _kidding,_ Princess."

"I am not a Princess!"

"Sorry. It just suits you. But uh, look, I…" Emma sat on the couch, twisting her hands. "I don't want anything from you. Nothing."

Regina looked at her, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and she almost said something kind. Almost. But that would have been weak.

"Quite right too."

"Right, well, tomorrow I guess we can look some stuff up online, maybe figure out how to get you home, and I dunno, at least sort you out with some shoes that aren't glass slippers."

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind, bad joke."

Emma collected half the pillows and blankets from her bed and set them up on the couch. Regina watched. Emma wanted to snap at her, to ask her to help, but it didn't seem right somehow. She was so lost, she didn't have a clue.

"I, uh, brought you something to sleep in, too," Emma said, holding out a pair of leggings, a grey t-shirt, and some granny panties. "It's all clean. If you're thirsty there's water in the fridge, the magic cold box thing, the less cold one. Help yourself to food, too. Uhm, books, if you're bored, TV."

"What is TV?"

Emma groaned. "Ya know what? Let's leave TV for tomorrow. Just get some sleep, okay? You look like you could use it."

She turned to leave, but just before she reached her room, Regina called out, softly, instinctively aware of the sleeping baby.

"Miss Swan?"

Emma turned, a question in her eyes.

"I realise this is a rather odd request, but I… The design of my dress is such that it is nearly impossible for me to remove it on my own," Regina said hurriedly, trying not to blush. Emma might have been a peasant, but she was far from a ladies maid, and she was also… Stunningly beautiful. Regina's desires had never even been worth acknowledging in her own world, but from Emma's jokes, this realm was far freer when it came to same sex romances.

Emma grinned, but controlled her expression as she walked back across the room.

"Sure, what do you need me to do?"

Regina gave directions, glad she was facing away from Emma while they were executed. With delicate, nimble fingers… She checked herself. She could not go down this road, she was alone, in a strange place, and Emma was all she had. She could not let her weakness get in the way. She would accept Emma's help, and she would be civil and polite, but if Emma were to know of her preferences, they would almost certainly be exploited, or even worse, she would be cast out to fend for herself.

There was something about Emma that soothed Regina, something about her easy familiarity and willingness to trust - trust with her head, though, not her heart. She was clever, and despite her clear poverty and lack of status, Regina found herself respecting the young blonde mother.

Emma undid the dress as fast and as neatly as humanly possible. Her face was burning, she tingled all over with forbidden desire.

"There," she said when all the corsets were loosened and the only thing holding the dress up was Regina's hand.

Regina sighed with relief.

"It was so tight!" Emma commented.

"Oh, it was far from the worst of them. I insisted, since I would be wearing it all day, that the corset was one of the looser ones."

"That's looser? Shit…"

Regina smiled weakly. "You get used to it."

Emma made a face. "I'm glad I won't have to. Hey, I forgot to give you a toothbrush."

"A what?"

Emma sighed. "Go get changed, I will too, then I'll meet you in the bathroom and explain everything."

Regina, feeling apprehensive, did as instructed.

Explaining tooth brushing took far longer than Emma had anticipated, but Regina's delight with the clean feeling in her mouth when she was finally done was more than worth the wait. Emma found herself longing to kiss her, to see what it would feel like.  _Right_. That's how it would feel. Just, right.

She gave herself a shake. This was ridiculous. She was responsible for Regina, she was looking after her in a strange place and she couldn't possibly take advantage. There was a lot more Emma wanted to know, especially about the exact circumstances of the wedding day Regina had apparently disappeared from, but she could tell Regina was exhausted.

In leggings and a t-shirt, the brunette looked so young, so… So normal. Emma watched her curl up on the couch to sleep and wondered what the hell they were going to do with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina sat elegantly on the couch, her blankets folded by her side. She was used to having servants, but neatness had been drummed into her since birth and she wanted to make a good impression today. She had nothing in this world, no rank, no wealth. She didn't even know how their society worked. She was wearing borrowed clothes, she was surviving on Emma's generosity alone.

Her tutor, Rumpelstiltskin, had told her in her first lesson three years ago that everything came with a price. Regina wondered what the price of Emma's kindness would be. Even if Emma thought she was not asking for anything (and she had seemed genuine enough the previous evening) there would still be a price to pay. Regina knew, no matter what, she would pay it dearly when she finally returned home.

And she had to go home. Didn't she? She couldn't stay here. There was barely enough room for the Swans, let alone for her. And she was useless. She could not provide food or income, she was useless with the child, she struggled with using the bathroom! No, as Emma had said yesterday, they would research how to send her home, and then she would go.

"Dina?"

A bleary eyed toddler interrupted her thoughts.

"Good morning, Henry."

Henry toddled over to the main part of the room, looking sleepily through his toys. Regina eyed him worriedly. What if he needed something? Where was Emma?

"Where is your mother, Henry?"

Henry didn't answer. Regina thought he had heard and understood, though. She had no idea how developed children's minds were at this age. Henry tugged at the wedding dress, which was now draped over the back of a dining chair.

"Pincess dess," he said.

"Actually, it is a wedding dress. I am not a princess, though I was to marry and become Queen."

Henry looked at her, brow furrowed. Then he just smiled. "Pincess Dina," he told her. Regina sighed.

"You are quite the insistent young man. Very well. I can be Princess Dina to you. I suppose it does no harm, though in my land those pretending to be of royal birth were… Were in a great deal of trouble."

Henry listened intently, then pottered to the bookcase, pulling out several large books before finding the one he was looking for. He hurried over to Regina with it.

"Pincess book!" he told her excitedly. Regina took the book and tried not to panic as Henry clambered onto the couch and then onto her lap.

"Weed!"

Regina gave herself a shake for being so slow. She opened the book. On the first page was a large picture of a young woman in a dress very similar to hers, only it was blue.

"Pincess!" Henry said, pointing. "Nuther Pincess."

"Another Princess. Which Princess is this?"

"Cindawella," Henry explained, as if she was stupid. Regina squinted at the words as Henry demanded that she "Weed!"

Regina held the book at different distances, finally finding an angle she could manage. She was interested that the language here was the same as in her world, but she had no time to think on it. Henry was becoming desperate.

_Once upon a time there lived a beautiful girl named Ella…_

Emma stood in her bedroom doorway, listening. Regina's reading was surprisingly stilted, but soothing nonetheless. Emma decided to shower while her charges were both so happily occupied; sure enough, she was clean and out of the bathroom before the end of the story, and they were both happy in each other's company.

Emma dressed quickly in black jeans and her nicest cream sweater, then found a towel and some clothes that would fit Regina. She donated her sports bra, deciding its sizing was a little more flexible, more leggings (since they were stretchy and all Emma's regular pants were tight even on her own tiny ass), a black tank top, and a red hoodie. After a moment, she switched the sweater she was wearing for the hoodie. She had a feeling Regina cared about pretty clothes a lot more than she did.

"More!" Henry demanded when the story was over. Regina struggled with her response, but Emma came to her rescue.

"Princess Dina needs to shower, kid. You play by yourself for a minute, then I'll come make you breakfast, yeah?"

"Okay," Henry said.

"Hey, kid, what do you say to Regina for reading to you?"

Henry smiled at Regina and she thought her heart might just melt. "Thank you," Henry said clearly.

"You are very welcome, dear," Regina said, standing stiffly. Emma passed her the pile of clothes.

"I think this'll fit. Follow me…"

Emma led the way to the bathroom.

"So, you can just have a bath if you want, but I thought you might like to know how to use the shower."

Regina set the clothes down on the lid of the toilet.

"What is a shower?" she asked formally. Emma grinned.

"Awesome. That's what it is. And you can even… Ya know what, you just figure that out on your own if you're inspired. Sure didn't take me long."

Regina sensed the innuendo, but had no idea what Emma was talking about. Emma pointed to a snake like pipe that was hooked to the wall and ended in something round with lots of holes in it.

"So, you turn on the taps, like with the washbasin, usually I do that first, and then you flick this lever here-"

Regina screamed as the magic lever made it rain inside. Warm, heavy rain. Emma cackled.

"I knew you'd like it. So what you do is, stand under there and wash yourself. I'm afraid I don't have a spare loofah-"

Regina raised a questioning eyebrow until Emma held up a puffy pink thing.

"You wash with it," Emma explained, giving a strange demonstration. She threw the loofah in the basin, blushing. "Uh, anyway, so you can just use your hands, there's soap and shampoo and stuff, use whatever you want, and then there's a towel. Oh, and do you want music?"

"How on earth would you have music?"

Emma pointed at a sea-horse shaped object stuck to the wall - yet more magic. "Press the buttons on that. See what happens. The red one turns it on and off. Any more questions?"

Regina reached out tentatively and held her hand under the shower spray.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "It's nice."

"Told you. Don't forget to pull the curtain and keep it inside the bath, otherwise you'll soak the floor."

Emma left Regina to it, then went to find Henry. She changed his smelly diaper and dressed him in the bedroom. The weather was just changing; it was the end of September and today seemed cold rather than warm, so she went for a onesie under his dungarees.

"What d'you want for breakfast, kid?"

"Choccy!"

"Uh huh, no way," Emma said to her giggling son. "How about Weetabix?"

"An' apple?"

"Sure thing. Weetabix and apple sounds yummy."

Emma sat him in his high chair while she prepared the food. She made some for herself too; she'd gotten pretty used to eating the same as him, it was easier.

Henry attacked his Weetabix, splashing milk all over himself and the chair. Emma watched with a smile. She'd clean him up later.

Regina emerged from the bathroom looking damp and invigorated. She held out the clothes and damp towel to Emma.

"Not your servant today, Princess," Emma said, but she winked and Regina smiled nervously. "I'll show you where to put them."

Emma led the way to the bedroom. Regina looked around it curiously. It wasn't large, but it had space for a double bed, a large crib, and a closet. Regina was pleased to note both beds were made. Emma pointed to a basket.

"Laundry goes in there. We'll probably do some tonight. The laundry room's in the basement, Henry loves it, although it's a pain with no elevator."

Regina dropped everything in the basket. Emma fished out the towel and gave it back to her.

"This, you can hang up and use again."

"Use again?" Regina said, wrinkling up her nose.

"You were clean, it's only wet, not dirty," Emma pointed out. "Plus, it would have to dry before going in the basket anyway, or it'd get mouldy."

Regina logged this information. At home, used towels disappeared with the servants.

"You can hang it up here," Emma said, moving a small towel with fish on it to drape over the bedpost to free up a hook for Regina.

"Breakfast? I'm gonna make coffee, then we'll go out, check out the library, get you some clothes and stuff."

"What is coffee?"

"You gotta be kidding me… Okay, I don't even know if you'll like it, but coffee is the best thing in the world," Emma said, heading back into the main room. "It's a hot drink."

"Like tea?"

"Well, kind of, except tea is like dishwater compared with coffee."

"DINA!" a very milky Henry announced. Emma grabbed some wet wipes to clean him up.

"You need anything else?"

"Water please."

"Good boy, your manners are awesome. I knew I paid that day care for something." Emma filled a sippy cup with water and handed it to Henry.

Regina stood, trying to be imposing, in the middle of the room. She felt in the way, out of place… She was already far too fond of this little family, but they were happy and complete without her. She did not belong here.

She felt Emma press a mug of something warm and delicious-smelling into her hands.

"Coffee," Emma said. "You're miles away, what's up? Homesick, huh?"

"Something like that," Regina said sadly. Emma ushered her to the table. Henry was on the floor again, making a little car zoom around with exaggerated sound effects. He ran it over Regina's foot; she jumped and spilled her coffee. Only a few drops, and only on the table, but she felt awful. She had not spilled anything since she was a small child; clumsiness had been severely punished.

"I am so sorry, Miss Swan. Let me-" but Emma was already on the job with a wet wipe. She smiled encouragingly.

"Don't worry, kid spills stuff all the time. And it was his fault, wasn't it, Henry? No running people over, little man. Not cool."

"Genty?" Henry asked Regina. Emma rolled her eyes.

"He means gently, and his question is, can he gently drive that little car over your body?"

"I, uhm, I suppose so?" Regina said, sounding terrified.

"You can say no, he won't mind."

"No, I mean, I do not mind if he does. It just seems… In my world," Regina giggled as Henry carefully guided the car up her leg, "children do not play like this with adults."

"Seen and not heard, that kind of thing?"

"Yes. I am not sure how things work in poorer families, but certainly, in my own childhood, I would not have dared speak to my mother's guests, let alone play or read with them."

"I'm not sure I could stop Henry interacting with people if I wanted to. He screams at strangers, but once he's decided he knows someone, he's all over them. Like now."

Emma chuckled as the car made its way all over Regina's body. Regina sipped her coffee experimentally. It was wonderful, like nothing she'd ever tasted. She hummed in appreciation. She turned down food when Emma offered it, so Emma suggested they learn about the TV.

"Tomorrow's Sunday but I have to work. If you're still around, it'd be good for you to know your way round the apartment, so you can entertain yourself all day. Or, I guess, you can come into work with me. I work in a shopping mall so there'd be stuff for you to do, but I wouldn't be able to help you with anything or talk to you, except on my breaks, so it might be a bit much. We can check it out today if you like, so you can make an informed decision."

"Thank you. It is very kind of you to show me everything. You do not have to do it; I am sure I will manage."

"Maybe, but why should you have to?" Emma smiled. "If I can help you, I will. I want to."

But, why? The question was on the tip of Regina's tongue.

"Okay, so, TV." Emma picked up the remote and showed it to Regina. "To turn it on, you press this button."

Regina watched, fascinated, as Emma pressed the button on the large black wand and it caused one side of a large box in the corner to light up with-

"Wait, are there people inside there?" Regina asked. She went closer, examining the box.

"No people. Just pictures. The best shows are like… Plays, you know?"

"I have only once been to the theatre, but I know the concept."

"Okay, cool, so you press this button to look at the menu, and you can pick shows, by the name, or it shows you a description.  _Or_ , you can press the numbers, those are Henry's and my favourite channels."

Emma handed Regina the remote, very entertained by her regal guest's investigation of the settings.

"What are all the other buttons?" Regina asked.

"I don't even know," Emma admitted. "But once Henry pressed some and I had to get Nick from upstairs to come fix it, there are all kinds of weird settings."

"I shall avoid them, then," Regina decided. "These plays, they continue constantly? It must be hard on the actors."

"Nah, they film 'em months in advance, and most stuff we get is years old."

"So how does it get to the box?"

Regina was still walking all around the TV, not entirely convinced there weren't tiny people trapped inside it.

"They, like, break the picture up into tiny signals at the TV station, then they send the signals through the air and we catch them in a dish that's on the wall outside, then the dish plugs into the TV and the TV turns the signals back into a picture."

Emma's understanding of TV came almost entirely from Charlie and the Chocolate factory, but she kept that part quiet. Regina accepted the explanation, reasoning that Emma was unlikely to understand her explanations of her world's magic, either.

"So, d'you wanna head out?"

They piled into the car, Regina in the backseat again, Emma pointing out various landmarks that they passed and Henry babbling cheerfully about the trip.

"He loves everything right now, like, being in the car, going to the mall, walking, talking, looking at the floor. He's so curious, so much smarter than me."

Regina smiled. She liked hearing Emma talk about her son. She was certain her mother had never talked about her in that way.

Emma tried to minimise her waffling. She'd never really had anyone to enthuse about Henry with before; her neighbours were friendly enough but none of them were friends, and while his social worker was great, her interest in them was purely professional.

It was going to be a weird day, Emma was sure of that. But Regina, in her borrowed clothes and poorly fitting uggs (the only shoes Emma had with any kind of size leeway), felt like the best thing that had ever happened to Emma and Henry. That was stupid, Emma knew. She couldn't belong with them, she didn't even belong in their world. Even without all the White Kingdom stuff, someone like Regina couldn't be happy with the likes of the Swans… Could she? She was used to riches and luxury, not Weetabix and sleeping on the couch.

She couldn't stay. There was no point daydreaming about it. Emma had to be firm with herself. She had a bit of money saved, she'd been thinking about Christmas, but that was months away and they might as well spend it on Regina. She needed it, she needed help. Emma wondered if she was really being selfish. Maybe this was a bizarre way for her to fix the wrongs of the past. No one had helped her, but she could help Regina. In the end, Emma decided it wasn't. It was simpler than that - Regina was just… awesome.

She was giggling, right now. Emma could see her in the mirror, she was giggling, still queenly, but giggling at something Henry had said. She didn't have a clue how to look after herself, but she was strong and resilient and smart. She was picking up on language and mannerisms, she wasn't freaking out over all the crazy "magic" she was seeing. Emma imagined her coming from a medieval type era in her world. She'd said it was a bit like the world of Henry's Cinderella fairytale. Emma had even started thinking of where she came from as "Fairytale Land".

"Book!" Henry was saying - he was listing everything he was going to buy at the mall.

"What kind of book?"

Henry thought about it. "Pincess book!"

"But you already have a Princess book!"

Emma noted that while Regina maintained her detached, hard tone in all their conversations, with Henry she had a completely different voice. She was sweet and kind. She thought back to them reading, then had a brainwave.

"Regina?" she asked.

"Miss Swan?"

"In your world, do you use glasses to read?"

"Of course not!" Regina seemed affronted. "Reading glasses are for academics, only. A woman having them would be utterly inappropriate."

"Gotcha… But in this world, everyone has them. Everyone who needs them. Even the Queen of England, I think. And I dunno, I heard you reading with Henry earlier, and I don't mean to offend you, you don't need to give me that glare, but I think you might be far sighted, and we can probably pick up some reading glasses for you at the pharmacy."

Regina was unsure how to react. It had to be some kind of trick, Emma was looking for her weaknesses.

"Will they not be costly?"

Emma pulled into the mall parking lot. "Getting your eyes properly tested would be, but these you can get for a couple bucks. They won't be good quality, but they might make things easier. You can get pretty ones, maybe you can even take them back with you, just to use in private."

Regina thought of all the books she had soldiered through, all the splitting headaches, all the chastisements from her tutors and her mother when she failed to complete assignments quickly enough. The idea that this could be fixed with a quick market purchase seemed too good to be true.

"I suppose it would not hurt to try them," she said, refusing to get her hopes up.

Emma grabbed the giant baby bag and hoisted Henry onto her hip.

"Shoes first?" she suggested.

Regina followed mother and son into the mall, and resisted the urge to run right out again. It was huge and bright and noisy and the floor was made of some kind of ridiculously over polished stone that was far too slippery. Crowds of people moved around and everything about them was bewildering, their clothing, their accents, their behaviour. They had to be peasants, nobility would never behave like this. But they all had so much, they were bartering…

Regina supposed it was not unlike a market, just vastly larger and louder and scarier in every way.

"Oh, crap, you're terrified," Emma gasped, reaching out and grabbing Regina's hand without really thinking about it. She blushed when she realised what she'd done, but to her surprise, Regina didn't pull away.

"It's so… big."

"That's what she said," Emma mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing, bad joke. I'll tell you when Henry's not listening. Are you gonna be okay? We can just go… Ooh, we could go to the park. They have a petting zoo, no horses, but maybe a donkey. We might go there later anyway if the little man's not too sleepy."

"I… I really cannot take your money," Regina said worriedly. Everything here was so shiny, it all seemed very expensive. Some of the stores sold clothes even finer than what she was fitted with at the palace, though the styles were bizarre. "You have a child to support, I-"

"Hey, Regina? I dunno how it works in your weird-ass kingdom, but here in Boston, when someone offers you a gift, the polite thing to do is take it."

Regina frowned. She was not used to being wrongfooted over manners.

"Here, tell you what. Fifty bucks. That's less than a day's wages, I'll make it all back tomorrow when I work."

"Bucks? Like, deer?"

Emma laughed. "It's what we call our money. It's paper."

"Right."

"Right, you'll take it?"

Regina sighed. "May I…" she trailed off awkwardly.

"Go on," Emma encouraged.

"May I carry the bag?"

Emma laughed loudly. "Please do! Thank you. But if you get tired let me know. I'm more than used to carting it around."

Some cheap ankle boots, pharmacy glasses, and some very low priced but well fitting outfits later, Regina was almost enjoying herself. They fed Henry some snacks while they sat on the side of a fountain, then, by popular demand, headed to the park.

Regina loved her new shoes, her glasses, her clothes that didn't feel like a prison. And Emma loved watching Regina love them. Emma couldn't tell who loved the donkey more, Henry or Regina, but it was a great success, and when sleepy Henry raised his arms for Regina to hold him, she lifted him as if she'd been there all his life.

"You're stunning when you smile," Emma breathed. "I mean, you're always stunning, and it's not like you never smile, but you're so… You're peaceful."

"Your son is quite the pacifier, it would seem," Regina said, eyeing Henry fondly as he snoozed and drooled on her shoulder.

Emma shifted from foot to foot, feeling very young and naive - a feeling she was not used to.

"Regina?" she asked quietly.

"What is up, Miss Swan?"

Emma chuckled at the formalisation of her slang. "I, uh… This fairytale land that you're from. It's not really… It's not really a fairytale at all, is it?"

Regina pursed her lips. Emma watched, then continued speaking.

"I… I believe you, that you weren't running from your wedding. But you weren't thrilled about it either, were you? The king, is he… Well, what's he like?"

Regina stroked Henry's hair. "I know very little about him, truth be told. His reputation is excellent, he is kind and good, and a great ruler."

"Oh, God, is he ugly?"

Regina laughed. "In his day, I am told he was quite handsome. But I am to be his second wife. He is 63 years old."

"What the fuck?" Emma didn't voice the curse in case Henry was still awake, but she could feel her face turning red with anger.

"It is not uncommon."

"Regina, he's more than three times your age! And you'd have to… Oh my God," Emma whispered.

"I… Well, as you said, I was not thrilled about the wedding."

"What was the rest of your life like?"

Regina thought about it. "Lonely."

Emma got the feeling there was a lot behind the single word answer. Regina noticed.

"But, not at all bad. I am to be Queen, I have a palace, servants, all the clothes and jewels I could ever want, and my mother and father are there. The Princess, too. A ten year old girl."

Regina didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed when Emma bought her cover up. Emma tried not to seem disappointed that Regina had so much to go home for.

"So you have to go back," Emma stated.

"Yes," Regina agreed. "I have to go back."

Emma convinced herself that the mournfulness she detected in Regina's tone was nothing more than wishful thinking.


	3. Chapter 3

Regina tried valiantly to carry all the shopping up eight flights of stairs, but she was gasping for breath by four. Emma shifted Henry a little and insisted on taking some of the bags.

"It's good for my arms," she said, winking.

Regina sighed as she watched Emma take off upstairs in front of her. The blonde was so  _strong_ , she had a life, a job, a child, and she could manage all of it with apparent ease and a wide smile. It was as if nothing hurt her. Regina wondered if she was witnessing a miracle, but Emma had said her way of living was normal, and Regina suspected that the only exceptional feature of this situation (aside from realm travelling) was her weakness.

She had spoken the truth when she explained her life to Emma. She had everything. Riches, a family, and even a family that wanted her. Leopold was old, but his reputation did not suggest any cruelty, and Snow was a sweet, if selfish child. And why should she not be selfish? She had just lost her mother. Regina was  _lucky_ to have a place with them, and wishing for another life was both foolish and ungrateful.

What was more, Emma thought that too. Regina had seen it in her eyes when she listed everything she had to go back for. Emma was a kind, wonderful soul, an amazing woman who was determined to help her, but even Emma wouldn't understand her desire to stay.

Regina almost fell on her face when she realised what she had just admitted to herself.

She wanted to stay.

She coughed, but the cough turned to a choke, the choke to a sob, and by the time she'd straightened herself out and gotten into the apartment she was full on crying and Emma was staring at her like a deer in the lights of an oncoming carriage.

Emma held up a finger in a weak attempt at "wait a second", then turned and put Henry in his crib. He continued sleeping, simply rolling over and sticking his fingers in his mouth. She kissed his forehead, then paused. She could just stay in here and leave the crying Princess to her melodrama. Emma sighed. But it wasn't melodrama, was it?

She was trapped in a strange land, away from all her friends and family, and the more Emma saw of her, the more she thought Regina really wasn't the type to enjoy shirking her responsibilities. The poor woman must have been desperate to get back, and Emma was doing very little to help her. They hadn't even made it to the library. It had completely slipped Emma's mind, because Emma had been thinking, instead, that Regina would be… That Regina would be staying.

Emma went out into the main room, where Regina was sniffling into a tea towel.

"I apologise," Regina said, internally cursing the wobble in her voice.

Emma collected the shopping bags and set about sorting what was in them so she had something to do with her hands to distract her while she spoke.

"You don't have to," she mumbled. "I get it. I think. I mean, you must feel like crap. You're lost and lonely, in a strange place, and hell, you've been sleeping on a couch! You're probably experiencing some crazy levels of culture shock and I didn't even remember to take you to the library. But maybe on my computer, I'll get it later, we can have a look…"

It was about four in the afternoon, not time to eat. As she trailed off, Emma wondered what they should do. Maybe Regina wanted to be left alone. The thought sent a pang through Emma's chest. She didn't want to be away from her.

Regina folded the tea towel and looked around aimlessly. Emma fetched her a water bottle from the fridge.

"So," she said, attempting a smile. "What do fairytale princesses do for fun?"

Regina didn't quite ask "What's fun?" but her expression came pretty close. Emma hated the sound of the realm Regina came from more and more. It had nothing whatsoever to do with her quite enjoying having Regina around.

Emma dug around in a drawer, producing a small rectangular box.

"Do you have playing cards in the White Kingdom?"

"Gamblers do," Regina said, wrinkling up her nose.

"Right. Sit your butt down at the table," Emma said, shifting the shopping to the floor.

"My butt?"

"Your royal hiney," Emma joked, swatting at it. She had a feeling Regina had known full well what a butt was.

Regina gasped as Emma's hand brushed against her. She reminded herself that people in this world were far more… touch-y. In the shopping mall, she had seen several couples practically  _copulating_ right there in the middle of the walkway and no one else had been batting an eyelid. She sat the object of Emma's attention firmly in a chair and tried not to blush.

Emma was attempting the same thing; she could feel her cheeks reddening as she realised what she'd done, and what she might have insinuated. They'd had enough prostitute misconceptions to last a lifetime, and Emma almost thought she should say something.

"I was just messing around," she said, cringing at how awkward she sounded.

Regina was having rather too many feelings to produce a suitable answer. She was sure Emma hadn't meant to offend, and was even more convinced from the flush of the blonde's cheeks. The thing was, Regina felt… Other things. Interesting things. And she was having several ideas about what Emma could do with her hands on her body-

"Let's play this vagrants' game, then," she said hurriedly. Emma nodded, glad that the subject of her faux pas seemed to be over.

Emma shuffled and divided the cards.

"Okay, so the game I'm gonna teach you is called spit-"

" _Spit_? I will not spit, Miss Swan!"

"Emma, remember? And there's no actual spitting. It's called that because it's fast, I guess. Basically, you try to get rid of your cards, then you slap your hand down on the smallest pile of cards you see, or at the end, on the empty space on the table, and you  _say_ 'spit' and when you have no cards left, that's how you win the game."

Emma went on to explain the rest of the rules, walking Regina through a practice round before resetting the game. To her amusement, and somewhat to Regina's surprise, Regina was a natural, incredibly quick with her fingers, and her eyes once she'd taken out her glasses. Emma had been worried about possibly having to let the almost queen win, but halfway into the game, she was pretty sure this wasn't going to be a problem.

After losing to Regina three times, Emma was ready for another form of amusement. It would be time to make dinner soon. Regina helped her put the shopping away (okay, she watched as Emma did it but at least she was trying) and then they hovered. Well, Regina stood still and Princess like; Emma fidgeted like a child.

"Anything you'd like?"

Regina bit her lip. "Actually, I… Could I take another shower?"

"Already?"

Regina shrugged. "I… I liked it. I would like to brush my teeth, too, if that would be alright."

Emma laughed. "Please pass on to the kid how much you like washing and brushing. But, sure. You go do that, I'll make us something to eat."

Regina walked to the bathroom, taking her new pyjamas with her. She had been fascinated by this world's sleepwear options, and had chosen (rather to Emma's delight) a silk-style red pyjama set. Emma had been required to help rather a lot with the purchasing of a bra and underwear ("This is  _all_?") but Regina had those, too. She collected her towel, and Emma looked in the fridge.

Regina stood under the water, smiling. Surely she did not have to feel guilty about this pleasure? She wondered how many showers she would take in her life. One more? Maybe two? Perhaps she should take them more frequently. She had stopped worrying about how the water stayed warm. It just did. Some things didn't need to be questioned, not when they felt so good.

She swayed to the music of the little machine Emma had showed her; she'd found a setting which played slow, sweet songs with orchestral music behind them. It was both familiar and not. People spoke in between the singers, telling you who they were. Regina's favourite was Michael Buble. They played him a lot.

She washed her long, dark hair, watching the white foamy bubbles swirl down the drain, then washed every inch of her skin. She loved feeling clean, every trace of forest grime gone from her body. She ran her hand over her stomach, tracing lower and lower, then paused. She  _felt_ something, a tightening in her abdomen, a need to be touched.

She felt her cheeks colour, despite being alone. She knew she was shamefully innocent; the only feelings she'd ever had about  _that_ kind of thing were fearful and nightmarish. She'd never been much tempted by desire - in fact, her mother's threats and warnings about the painful fates of girls who "pleasured themselves" had only confused her. She had never understood what all the fuss was about, it had all been so vague, something she couldn't possibly understand until after she was married.

She wondered if this was what Emma had meant with the shower innuendo in the morning. The twinkle in Emma's eyes was still stuck in her mind. She blinked, then shut off the water. No. She was about to be  _married_. She had to be pure for her husband. Would he know that she'd had these thoughts? Would he know she'd thought of Emma? What would he be able to tell? How did she know her body wouldn't betray her? When she thought of Emma, the knowing smirk, her nipples hardened to stiff, dark peaks, her heart pounded in her chest, and there was a twitch between her thighs that longed for Emma's agile, slender fingers.

Regina dried herself roughly, forcing these thoughts out of her mind. Why did she feel this way? When she thought of her fiance she felt nothing - well, nothing good. The idea of him touching her was disgusting. She had known this was often the way. What she hadn't known, what was ruining her now, was the idea that it didn't have to be. She had known for a long time that she appreciated feminine beauty, but the desires she was having now were almost  _animal_.

They went deeper than that, too. Regina bit her lip, hard, as she pulled on her pyjamas and tried not to think about all the things she wanted to do with Emma, all the sweet things, like talk with her all night, hold her hand, touch her hair, sit with her and just be held, be a part of her haphazard little family… She stared into the glass above the washbasin, tracing a finger over her face, her full lips, marred by her scar.

Emma would never like her in that way. Even if Emma shared her… Her  _fault_ , the blonde could have anyone. She could have a woman from her own world, a truly beautiful one, one who could support her, who could keep up with her on the stairs, who didn't need to be helped through every moment of every day.

Regina straightened her pyjamas. She had been in here long enough. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders; her hair was wet and dripping. There was so much of it, she hadn't attempted washing it this morning. Now, she realised, it would either have to drip, or she would have to ask Emma's help.

She took a deep breath. She needed this. It wasn't an indulgence, someone had to braid her hair, she couldn't reach, and it wasn't as if Henry could do it.

"Hey there, Princess. Have fun?" Emma asked. "Dinner's in the oven, it'll be about thirty minutes. It's pasta."

Regina did not know what pasta was, but she smiled anyway, then took a deep breath.

"Emma, do you know how to braid hair?" she asked commandingly, hiding in at least the idea of control.

Emma was surprised, but it made sense when she thought about it. Fairytale land wouldn't have blow dryers. She thought about offering hers, but it was loud and Henry didn't like it and it was so old and dodgy there was a significant possibility it would set Regina on fire.

"Yeah, I can braid," Emma said. She motioned to a chair. Regina sat down; Emma wiped her hands on the back of her pants then set about making a french braid. She was quite proud of it, actually. It was fun braiding on someone else, it was far easier on her arms, and she could be a lot neater. She tied off the braid with the band around her wrist just as Henry wandered into the room.

"Make Dina pitty?" he asked.

Emma grinned. "Yup, Princess Dina's getting a make over. You want me to do your hair as well?"

Henry paused, then turned and hurried off to the bedroom. Regina watched, confused. There was a loud crash; she made to jump up but Emma stopped her.

"He's fine, I can hear him. If he was hurt he'd be bawling, trust me."

Henry returned from the bedroom, proudly wielding Emma's makeup case. He dropped it on the floor and dug around inside it until he had a lipstick, which he opened, then held like a spear as he charged.

"He wants to put that on me?" Regina asked, sounding slightly afraid. Emma grinned.

"He does. You don't have to let him, though."

Regina chuckled.

"I don't mind. I am interested in the beauty products you have here." She helped Henry onto her lap. He snickered gleefully and began to liberally decorate her mouth.

Emma collected the rest of the make up and offered it to him.

"Since you're interested," she teased. Regina glared, but seemed amused as Henry moved from dark red lipstick to blue and green eyeshadow and sparkly blush that ended up pretty much everywhere.

"Bootiful," he declared. Emma cackled.

"You're laughing now, Miss Swan," Regina said dangerously, "But I think Prince Henry here would  _love_ to demonstrate his talents on you, too."

"Oh, no, I have to cook-" Emma protested, but Henry had already caught on to the idea and soon she was in the hot seat while he gave her an even more striking look than Regina's.

By the time he was done, the oven timer was beeping and it was time to eat - Henry was delighted that everybody kept their "pitty faces" on throughout dinner and even later on, while they played. He had fallen in love with Regina's old world accent and begged her to read to him again, so she read, he bashed trains together, and Emma did the dishes, then retrieved her ancient laptop.

"Okay, so… You're from the White Kingdom. And you called the whole world a realm - do you know the name of the realm?"

Regina thought about it. "I know it as The Enchanted Forest, but in some texts it is called Misthaven, and it probably has other names too."

Emma typed "Enchanted Forest" into Google. She found a Scottish light festival, and after a few clicks along (the light festival seemed like a pretty big deal) some weird looking porn. She shuddered, then tried "Misthaven". There were far fewer hits, and one of them was a promising looking blog, but it turned out to be Frozen fanfiction. Femslash. Ana and Elsa. Emma slammed the laptop shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. Regina really needed to stop being so damn attractive.

She joined the duo playing on the floor; they stayed that way for over an hour, listening to Henry babble, occasionally sharing a word or two. Regina felt serene - it would have been perfect if her heart hadn't insisted on doing a backflip every time Emma's hand brushed against hers.

"Okay, bath," Emma said finally. Henry scruched up his face, ready to wail in protest, but then he had another idea.

"Dina baff," he said, tugging at Regina's hand.

"I think the kid has a crush," Emma said. "Do you mind? I'll be there too. Basically, dump him in the tub, give him some toys, wash him a bit, and try to get him not to pee in the water. Or on you."

"Pee on Momma!"

"Yeah," Emma said, grumpy at the memory. "You peed on Momma, and it  _really_ wasn't funny." She turned to Regina. "He thought it was awesome, though. He loves aiming his pee. We just haven't got the when under control quite yet, have we, kid?"

Henry set off towards the bathroom, sitting down halfway there to attempt to remove his clothes. Emma went to help him but he pushed her away.

"Dina do it."

Emma began to argue, but Regina smiled. "I can do it. The clothes come off the child, correct?"

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, that's it."

Regina stripped Henry down to his diaper. "And this?"

"Okay, you  _really_ don't have to do that."

Regina examined the child. "I am to have children one day," she said. "And while they will probably have a nursemaid, I would much rather know how to deal with such things myself."

"You're a brave woman, Mills. Okay, bathroom," she directed. They lay Henry on the changing mat on the floor (there was no room for a table and it was too easy for babies to fall off them anyway) and Emma instructed on the correct diaper removal and wiping techniques. Regina held the soiled item at arm's length the entire time, but she did surprisingly well for an apparently spoiled and sheltered Princess. She dropped it in the bag Emma held out with a sigh of relief.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," she said. Emma hoisted Henry onto his little potty.

"You gonna pee?" she suggested. Henry shook his head. Emma looked sideways at Regina.

"He doesn't think he's lying. I don't think," she whispered. She showed her how to spray and wipe the mat, then they washed their hands and put everything away. By the time they were done, Henry had, in fact, peed.

"That's so awesome, kid!" Emma exclaimed. Regina frowned.

"Why? Now you have to clean the potty, too."

"Yeah, but he peed in it. Instead of a diaper. I figure, if everyone's thrilled when he uses the potty, he'll catch on and start waiting to use it."

Regina nodded, then turned to Henry with an exaggerated grin.

"Well done, young man."

Henry almost blushed. Emma laughed, and started to run the bath.

"You put him in there and watch him, I'll deal with the potty," she said.

Regina watched Henry like a hawk, secretly terrified he would slip and drown as he played around in the water. He loved the attention, splashing and giggling and introducing her to his ducks. He was so happy, his smile was so free.

 _I wish I could be like you_ , Regina whispered to him in her head.  _I wish I could stay with you. I wish I could stay here forever_.

She jumped as she felt a hand between her shoulder blades.

"What's up, Princess?" Emma asked, kicking herself for being so brusque. Regina had seemed deep in thought; Emma had to sound like she was mocking her. She passed her a wet wipe.

"Nothing," Regina said, looking at the wipe. "What's this for?"

Emma smiled awkwardly. "To take your warpaint off. I can't take you seriously looking like that."

Regina let out a hollow laugh. "Oh. I forgot."

Emma tried to laugh too. "I once went out like this, Henry doesn't act any different. Thank God it was just to the grocery store and not to work or something."

Everything Emma said reminded Regina of how different they were. But the thing was, she was starting to see the reminders as  _good_. She wanted different, she wanted this world, she wanted freedom to be who she was, to love who she chose. She didn't want to get married. She didn't want to be weak and powerless. When she had children, she wanted them to be like Henry, happy and silly and confident. And she wanted to change and bathe them herself, not pay some nursemaid to do it. She had hated her nursemaids (though they had probably been kinder to her than her mother would have been).

She was so close to saying it. She really was. But then Henry announced he was clean, and he had to be dried and changed and put to bed, and by the time that was done the moment hadn't just passed, it was ancient history. Not that Emma even knew there had been a moment.

Emma got the feeling there was a hell of a lot she didn't know. She was oblivious to Regina's current mood, but she knew there was a lot the "Princess" wasn't saying, a lot of fear and discomfort that the other woman might do well to voice. Emma groaned at herself. She had never been good at emotional conversations. She was more of a fight it out kind of girl. Or she had been, until Henry, and then she'd had Henry.

"We could watch a movie," she blurted out. Regina was sitting on the couch as if to go to bed, but it was still early and Emma wasn't ready to sleep. Not when Regina was right here, looking all cute and fresh faced and delectable in her red silky pyjamas.

"You have something here," Emma said suddenly, licking her finger and wiping a tiny smudge of lipstick (that might well have been a shadow) off the corner of Regina's mouth. Regina froze as Emma returned her hand to her lap, blushing furiously.

"Sorry, habit," Emma mumbled.

"I would like to watch a movie," Regina said. "Er… What is a movie?"


	4. Chapter 4

Emma got up from the couch and crossed to the bookshelf. She owned 3 DVDs: Thelma and Louise, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Lara Croft - Tomb Raider.

"They're kind of like TV, except you keep them," she said. "Most people have a lot more than three, but these are the only ones I've ever bought."

"I do not know how to choose," Regina said, examining the covers one by one. "Which is your favourite?"

"They're all my favourite, that's why I own them," Emma said with a shrug. "I mean, Tomb Raider's kind of stupid, it's from a video game, I played it once, in a foster home."

"What is a foster home?" Regina asked absently, expecting it to be some kind of place where children played.

"Uh, like, when kids don't have parents, other people foster them. The kids live with them."

"That is kind," Regina said. Emma laughed dryly.

"Not really. They get money from the state."

"Oh… So you were an orphan?"

Emma shrugged. "Dunno. The cops found me at the side of a highway. My parents are probably out there somewhere."

"I thought… I thought they had disowned you," Regina admitted. "Because of Henry. I didn't like to mention it, in case it was an uncomfortable topic."

"Regina, I think my entire life could be called an uncomfortable topic."

There was a pause. "In my world, orphans suffer a great deal, unless they are very lucky," Regina said quietly. "People do not seem inclined to look after children they do not consider their own. Is it… Is it similar, here?"

Emma flopped back on the couch. "You could say that, yeah," she said, her tone verging on sarcastic.

"I have upset you," Regina said.

Emma sighed. "Nah. Not your fault. My childhood was shitty. I had Henry while I was in  _jail_. That's how bad my life was. But it's good now."

"You were in jail? What for?"

Regina didn't seem repulsed, at least. Maybe she was in shock.

"My ex stole a bunch of watches, then let me take the fall for it."

"He sounds like an ass hole."

Emma grinned. "You say it in one, like  _asshole_."

"Asshole," Regina echoed.

"You got it! And yeah, he was one. A real ugly one, too."

"Henry takes entirely after you, then," Regina said primly.

"Pick a movie," Emma said, trying not to blush.

Regina pointed to Breakfast at Tiffany's.

"Trust you to pick the fancy looking one," Emma said. Regina appeared almost hurt; Emma patted her shoulder. "I'm teasing you, Princess."

"I'm not a-"

"I know." Emma popped the DVD into the player.

"Are you ever entirely sincere?" Regina asked as the opening credits rolled.

The blonde shrugged, leaning back into the couch. "Stuff's a lot easier to deal with if you don't take it seriously," she said in the end.

Regina didn't answer, enthralled by the music.

"She looks like your kind of princess," Regina chuckled as Audrey Hepburn took a sizeable bite of pastry and slurped down some coffee while staring through the window of Tiffany's jewellery store.

 _But_ **you're**   _my kind of princess_.

Regina had thousands of questions throughout the movie; Emma did her best to answer them, though she often had to pause the DVD player because every answer only seemed to lead to more questions.

Consequently, they didn't finish watching it until long into the night, and something about the dark, silent hour, the circumstances, or maybe just the company, made Emma Swan see the final scene in a light she's never seen it in before. She watched Fred make his impassioned speech before running out into the rain after the nameless cat and she watched Holly shake and cry in the back of a taxicab and suddenly it was her life that was falling apart.

Untamable tears poured down her cheeks and Regina looked over in wonder at the sobbing woman illuminated by the bizarre pink light of the menu screen. Regina had always thought, known, even, that she would be the one to break. She was the one this was breaking. But here they were, and sure, the story had made her heart scream and soar just like it had Emma's, but they both knew Emma wasn't crying over some couple in tan trench coats and a rain soaked feline.

Although, honestly, neither of them quite knew what Emma  _was_ crying about.

Emma blinked through the waterfall pouring out of her eyes and tried desperately to think of an explanation.

"When you said she was my kind of princess," Emma hiccoughed, "you didn't mean she's the kind of princess I'd like, did you?"

Regina frowned, trying to contextualise the question.

"You meant she's me, you meant she and I are the same," Emma continued.

"I… Well, I suppose I did," Regina said awkwardly, wondering if this was the cause of Emma's emotional breakdown. "But there are many differences, of course."

"I always liked her," Emma said. "But I never saw it like… Do you think I'm keeping myself in a cage?"

"Emma, you have a wonderful life. You have a beautiful son, you're kind, you're giving, and-"

"I don't have any friends," Emma blurted out. "I have Henry, and that's it. I got out of prison, I got out of that cage and I was so hurt, by everyone and everything, that I just took Henry and ran from it all. I support myself, I don't need anything from anybody, but you're the first person I've actually tried to be nice to in over a year and you're not even from this freaking world, you're going to leave and I'm going to go right back to how I was before and maybe one day I'll find some cute, rich guy to take care of me and pay for Henry's college and I'll convince myself that I care for him but it'll be just like Holly, I'm a chicken, just like her, because I'll never have the courage to-" She stopped herself abruptly.

"Have the courage to what?" Regina whispered after a considerable pause. There was that feeling in her stomach again, that exciting, intoxicating, tangled up feeling, only this time it was far more complicated and confusing and she just wanted to wrap Emma up in her arms and-

Emma jumped up from the couch. "I can't do this," she cried. "And we never did the laundry."

Silent and swift, she hurried through to the bedroom and collected the hamper, threw the towels, hoisted a still sleeping Henry onto her hip, and marched out of the apartment. Regina followed. Eight flights of stairs proved Henry to be a remarkably heavy sleeper. Emma threw everything into one washer, poured in the detergent, fed in the quarters, then marched for the stairs again, all without saying a word or even looking at Regina, who was following her like a lost puppy.

Emma put Henry back in bed (he had hardly even stirred) then looked around the room in miserable exasperation. Regina stood in the doorway.

"What on earth is the matter?" the brunette finally whispered, channeling her mother's demanding nature.

Emma waved her back into the living room, silently closing the bedroom door before rounding on the woman who had proved to be her complete undoing.

"We were fine, you know? Before you showed up!" she said, wiping fruitlessly at the tears that were still running down her cheeks. "And we'll be fine again. We  _will_. Just you watch. Just you watch, Princess. We'll be just  _fine_."

Then she turned on her heel, strode back into her room, and closed the door on her incredibly confused houseguest.

Regina walked over to the couch and examined the controller for the TV. She pressed buttons systematically until the screen (and the room) went black, then lay down on the couch and stared into the darkness.

She was still lying there, thinking, when Emma came in 40 minutes later. "I'm putting the clothes in the dryer," Emma whispered. "Stay here in case Henry wakes up?"

Regina wondered how Emma had known she was awake. She sat up and watched the door until Emma came back. The only thing Emma could see when she re-entered the apartment was the reflection of the light from the hallway in Regina's eyes. It was both creepy and cute. She turned on a lamp and sat on the couch again.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Regina brushed some imaginary lint off her pyjama bottoms.

"I know you will be fine when I leave," Regina said quietly. She bit back everything else. She couldn't stay. Emma clearly wanted her to go. It was painfully obvious that she was having a very negative impact on the blonde's happiness and wellbeing.

"It's that damn movie," Emma said. "It always gets to me. I just…"

"You identify with Holly."

"Yeah."

"But you are nothing like her. Not really."

"Hey, you even said I was."

"After a moment, based entirely on the way she  _ate_!"

"Okay, fine, but I am like her. How am I ever going to make anything of my life when all I do is run from my feelings?"

"Do you really run from them?"

"I… I don't know."

"If either of us is runner, Miss Swan, it is me."

"What do you mean? You didn't want to leave, you want to go back."

"Neither of those statements is accurate. I did not  _mean_ to leave, but after the initial shock, I am very glad that I did."

"You… You are?"

Regina studied Emma's surprised expression.

"I do not want to marry the king."

Emma had pretty much known that, anyway.

"You said they were both wrong," Emma said quietly. "You don't want to go back?"

Regina bit her lip. Hard. Emma waited. Eventually, Regina shook her head. To her surprise, she felt Emma's arms wrap around her and pull her against a warm, surprisingly soft body. Emma stroked Regina's hair, held her close, and wished with all her heart that life didn't have to be real.

"But I have to."

"What if we don't find a way?"

Regina curled up small and breathed in Emma's scent.

"We don't have to.  _She_ will."

"She?"

"My mother."

"Regina, I-"

"There is nothing you can do. If she wants me back, she will bring me back. It will be immediate, there will be no opportunity for refusal."

They sat in silence until the alarm on Emma's phone vibrated, telling them the laundry was dry. Emma went to fetch it, then returned, dumped it on the couch, and took Regina's hand.

"Come on," she said.

Regina allowed herself to be escorted to the bedroom. In any other situation, she would have felt afraid, but with Emma she needed no explanation to know she was safe. Emma put her into the bed, going as far as to arrange her pillows and blankets for her, then climbed in the other side, wrapped her arms around her, and murmured,

"I don't have a fucking clue how to help you, but you're not alone, okay?"

Regina relaxed into the hold and closed her eyes. "Thanks for the movie," she breathed. "I loved it."

Emma laughed.  _And I love you, Regina Mills_.

BREAK

They awoke seemingly moments later to a screaming child, loud cries interrupted with loud, snuffly coughs. Emma was out of the bed in a flash; Regina was right behind her, standing, waiting to be told how to help.

Emma cuddled Henry close and felt his head.

"You're burning up," she told him, her mind already racing through their options. She had to go to work, if she didn't go to work she'd stop getting shifts and she wouldn't get paid so she wouldn't pay rent and they'd get kicked out of the apartment and starve on the streets. She could get a sitter. Or-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the blaring alarm on her phone. Regina messed with it until it turned off (Emma tried not to laugh when she slid the phone along the table before realising you had to slide your finger across the screen). Then Regina looked up, rumpled and exhausted, and eyes alight with understanding.

"Henry is sick," she said. "But you must work."

Emma looked at her, hard, and wondered…

"I know you hardly know me, but I am good with him, I think. And it is high time I did something for you. I can care for him."

Emma thought about it. She wanted to say yes. She needed to say yes. She had to say yes.

"You wanna spend the day with Princess Dina?" Emma asked her snivelling son. He nodded, then reached out for Regina, perhaps understanding the transfer to be immediate. Emma passed him over and he wiped his snotty face on the shoulder of her new pyjamas as she snuggled him against her side.

"Thank you," Emma said, meaning it with all her heart. "I'll come back on my lunch break, I'll only be able to look in for a few minutes, but it's better than nothing. Don't try to cook anything, I mean, there's cheese and bread, you'll find something to eat. Call me, wait, uh… There's a payphone in the lobby. You feed it money, and you press the numbers I'm going to write down for you. So if something happens, call my cell with that."

Most of the information went over Regina's head but she understood Emma was talking about some kind of long distance contact. She very much hoped it would not be necessary.

Emma produced tissues and medicine to bring Henry's fever down (which he took only slightly under duress), then gestured for Regina to sit on the bed.

"Just hold him, the medicine should make him sleepy. I have to get ready and go. You want coffee?"

"Yes, please," Regina said distantly, letting the world whirl past her.

She wondered when her mother would summon her. Now that she thought about it, it was strange that it had taken so long. She knew from Rumple that crossing realms was difficult, but it was clearly possible. She also knew that she was in the torture he had designed for her mother. She laughed wryly. It was perfect. Her mother would have detested this place. Perhaps that was why she liked it so much.

Henry was asleep in her arms by the time Emma returned with her coffee. She would change at work; she had on a hoodie, she was slurping her own drink, and she fished in her pocket to produce a handful of candies, which she shoved into her mouth. She then took out the bag and handed it to Regina.

"You seemed to like the look of them in the car. They're chocolate. Keep them out of sight of the kid, he has candy of his own in the kitchen but he can't have these yet, they're too easy to choke on.

Emma forced herself not to comment on how safe and perfect Henry looked in Regina's arms. By the skin of her teeth, she also managed not to bring up their conversation the night before. It had sounded, and felt, a lot like Regina didn't want to go anywhere. Emma didn't know how magic worked, but Regina had said crossing realms was hard… Emma wondered if that meant they had time.

She held back her questions and kissed Henry's head. Without thinking, she gave Regina a similar kiss. Regina, who had been letting everything wash over her, snapped back to reality with a sharp intake of breath. Then she put down the bag of candy and grabbed Emma's hand.

"Emma."

Emma stared. She had said  _Emma_. Not  _Miss Swan_.  _Emma_.

"Have a good day," Regina said.

"Thanks," Emma said, her voice cracking a little. Because she was tired. That was all. "You too."

Emma left the apartment, already late. Regina listened to her leave and wondered how in the world she was going to stop thinking of the Swans as her family. When that proved to be an impossibility, she watched Henry sleep and thought about other things.

She thought about "foster homes" and Emma's childhood that she had revealed so little about. She thought about her mother, her fears, and Rumple's plan. She wondered how safe she could be. She'd never been anywhere her mother couldn't reach her before.

She remembered a time when she had been about seven, when she had hidden in a closet in the servants' quarters. Her mother had been angry with her, she couldn't remember why, and for some reason she had found the courage, or cowardice, to try to escape. Her mother could have found her with magic in seconds, but for some reason, Cora Mills had chosen to search the fortress slowly. Perhaps she had known that waiting would torture her daughter as much as, if not more than, the inevitable punishment.

Regina remembered there had been a momentary lull in her fear. At first she had been certain that she would be found, but then no one had come, and she had been blissfully alone. She had lain down, just small enough to do so comfortably, and pulled a blanket over herself. Then she had closed her eyes and imagined a warm, caring woman, lifting her, hugging her, holding her close. For several wonderful minutes, she'd had hope, hope for a life away from her mother.

And then she had realised that she was in a closet in her mother's fortress, that it was only a matter of time before she was found, and that her punishment would be even worse because she had tried to avoid it.

"I think the lull is over," she whispered to Henry. "But perhaps I should just have enjoyed it. It was another hour, at least, before she found me. It would have been better to continue dreaming."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long. Still, please let me know what you thought, lovely people.


	5. Chapter 5

_ “I think the lull is over,” Regina whispered to Henry. “But perhaps I should just have enjoyed it. It was another hour, at least, before she found me. It would have been better to continue dreaming.” _

 

BREAK

 

_ Regina stared at her reflection in the vast looking glass, one of her many wedding presents. She hardly recognised herself, she felt so small inside the elaborate, jewelled dress.  _

 

_ “Beautiful, dearie,” declared an eerie, grating voice.  _

_  
_ _ “Rumpelstiltskin,” Regina murmured.  _

 

_ “Indeed! Yes, you really are quite fetching, even if you aren’t the fairest of them all.” _ __  
_  
_ __ “How could I ever be that?” Regina asked, finding her scar. 

 

_ “You think too little of yourself. It’s all your mother’s doing.”  _

 

_ “Do not speak ill of my mother.” _

_  
_ _ “Would you rather I did as you do, and simply thought ill of her, constantly, but never dared to say so?”  _

 

_ “You lie! I love my mother.” _ __  
  


_ “And yet… Do you like my gift?” _

 

_ “Your gift?” _

__  
_ “The glass, it is from me.” _ __  
__  
_ “Oh, yes, thank you very much. You are too kind, Sir.” _ __  
__  
_ Rumple chuckled. “You’re welcome. Though you do not know the half.” _ __  
_  
_ __ “What do you mean?” 

 

_ “This is no ordinary glass, dearie. It is a portal.” _

 

_ “It is my wedding day, I cannot use a portal.” _ __  
__  
_ “The portal is not for you, child. It is for your mother.” _ __  
__  
_ “But she would not leave.” _ __  
__  
_ “Not intentionally. But with a little push-” _ __  
__  
_ “You cannot be serious! I could not harm my mother.” _ __  
__  
_ “You would not be harming her. You would simply be sending her on a little trip.” _ __  
_  
_ __ “To where?” 

 

_ “Somewhere horrible. For her, that is. Oh, yes, that world will be a uniquely abominable torture for her.”  _

 

_ “Then I cannot send her.” _ __  
_  
_ __ “Do you not wish her away from you?” 

 

_ “Not all wishes ought to be granted.” _ __  
_  
_ __ “Such a good little girl. Well, it’s up to you, dearie. Push her, don’t push her. The portal will remain open until it is used.”

__  
_ “And then?”  _ __  
__  
_ “Ah! You  _ are  _ thinking about it. Excellent! Well, my dear, and then, it will close. Forever.” _ __  
_  
_ __ “There’s no way back?” 

 

_ “I never rule anything out when it concerns magic. But not through this portal. And I think it’s safe to say there would be no way back for a good long time.” _

 

BREAK

 

Regina thought back to the dream she’d awoken from earlier that morning. The details were already fading, but the knowledge had slipped into her mind as if she had always known it. Here, this world, was a torture that had been meant for her mother, and the portal had been something to do with Rumpelstiltskin and a plot to get her mother out of the way. 

 

But how had  _ she  _ ended up here? Had her mother pushed her? But why would Cora do that? Or had she jumped through the portal herself? But she had been so determined to get married, as she’d told Emma, she would never have run away from her wedding. She was supposed to be the Queen, she belonged in the Enchanted Forest, she would never have left willingly, no matter her fears. 

 

Henry still snoozed against her chest. 

 

“Do you know why I’m here, little one?” she asked softly. 

 

He did not appear to have an answer for her. Regina stroked his hair.

 

“Well, I am very happy to be. And maybe it won’t be as easy for my mother to reach me as I thought last night. I was overly afraid… And even if she is coming, even if all of this is but a fleeting dream soon to be a distant memory, I would be a fool not to enjoy every moment of it.”

 

Henry snuggled into her in his sleep, as if affirming his pleasure in her company. 

 

Regina was soon to realise that his happiness at being with her did not equal an easy day. 

 

He slept for two hours, giving her pins and needles in her arms. She could have put him down, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on borrowed time. She had to savour every moment with this beautiful boy; it was worth more than a little discomfort.

 

She had plenty to think about, sitting on the bed. She opened the curtains and looked out at the other buildings. At first she examined the structures, the architecture, but when she tired of that she moved on to looking through the windows. Her eyes were fine with distances and she watched the fascinating people of this strange world go about their lives. She saw a lot she didn’t recognise or understand, but that made it all the more fun. 

 

She was still doing this when Henry stirred; she stroked his hair, thinking he would awake peacefully, but he was sick and grumpy and he began to bawl instead. She held him to her as she had seen Emma do, stroking his back and cuddling him, but he continued to cry. Regina stayed calm, thinking through what he might need. 

 

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Or…” she gritted her teeth and cautiously sniffed his behind. “Oh.  _ Oh _ .” 

 

She lowered the child and took a breath. 

 

“Well, Henry, wish me luck,” she said, getting off the bed and walking to the bathroom. She held him on her hip, which was much harder than Emma made it seem, especially when he was crying, and laid out the mat. 

 

His onesie was damp and sweaty; she decided she would find him another one. Changing the nappy wasn’t  _ so  _ bad. Okay, it was vile, but several dozen wet wipes did the trick, and after following the procedure with a meticulous hand washing session, Regina didn’t feel too bad. She left the nappy mat out for future reference and carried Henry back to the bedroom. 

 

Remembering what Emma had said about wriggling, she laid him on the floor rather than the bed while she dug in a drawer for a fresh onesie. She found a nice blue one and helped him into it, and his fever had gone down so she found him a sweater, too. It said “BOSTON RED SOX”, whatever that meant. Well, Boston, she knew. That was where they were. And red sox sounded like red socks. Regina smiled and looked in another few drawers until she found what she was looking for. There. Henry looked lovely, now. She kissed his forehead; he smiled at her. 

 

“Feeling better?” she asked him. She’d been giving a running commentary throughout the nappy changing and dressing process, but Henry hadn’t seemed to be paying much attention, and he certainly hadn’t dignified her with any conversation. She’d been beginning to fear he hated her. 

 

“Pincess Dina,” he said, smiling again. She picked him up. 

  
“Yes, here I am.”   
  
“Momma?”

 

“Your Momma is at work, she will be back soon. Would you like something to eat?”

 

Henry seemed to find this answer reasonably acceptable. Regina supposed he was used to being away from Emma while she worked. She wondered where he went normally. She’d seen the place but she had no idea what it was like inside. What did they do with babies all day? What did anyone do with babies all day? 

 

In the Enchanted Forest, babies had been left with nannies and nursemaids, seen for a few minutes each day to ensure they met appropriate standards of manners and cleanliness, but all Regina knew of actual childcare was what she’d learned with Emma yesterday, and they had been out, shopping and to the park and petting zoo. Being in the apartment wasn’t the same… Regina began to feel rather afraid. She took a deep breath. If she wanted to stay here, she had to be able to do this. 

 

Henry hadn’t answered the food question, but Regina decided to feed him anyway. She searched through cupboards until she found something she recognised - apples. She scattered through the cutlery, eventually finding a knife, and cut up an apple, then put the pieces into a bowl. 

 

The meal seemed to meet the child’s approval; he ate it with sticky enthusiasm, then wiped a snotty hand on her pyjama top as she lifted him from his chair. 

 

“Now what, sweetheart?” she asked, not really expecting an answer. To her happy surprise, she got one after all. 

  
“TOYS!”  

 

She laughed. “As you wish, my prince!” 

 

They took out all kinds of toys; Regina was possibly more excited than Henry. The toys were so colourful and clever, and he had so many… She liked his books, too. The stories were far kinder than the ones she was used to. This world had very different ideas about how to educate children - the main themes of most of the tales seemed to be love and compassion.

 

Henry’s cold was still significant; he coughed and sniffed his way through their games. Emma had left a box of tissues on the table which Regina put to good use, though, and Henry remained cheerful. He only had to say “dink” three times before Regina realised it meant “drink” and fetched him some water. She realised at this point that she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink herself, not since yesterday, but she wasn’t sure what to do with Henry, or even what she could prepare, so she ignored her drying mouth and rumbling stomach. The feelings were hardly a new experience, anyway. 

 

“Mik!”

 

This time she only needed it once. Milk. She could find milk. She looked in the less cold of the cold boxes and located the white liquid. She had to do this twice because Henry spilled the first glass (she realised she had probably filled it too full for a one year old) but he was delighted with her second attempt. 

 

Until he vomited it all over the couch. But that was fine. Fine. Regina took yet another deep breath and mopped at the mess with tissues, but Henry was crying now and she gave up on that in favour of cuddling him, which worked, this time. 

 

She wondered what they should do. She remembered the TV and found the wand that operated it. They sat on the floor under the one blanket that didn’t have sick on it and Regina pressed the buttons until a play that seemed child-friendly appeared on the screen. Henry seemed content with that; he chewed on the ear of a teddy bear and they watched the play. 

  
Regina let her mind wander, keeping an eye on the boy as she thought about what on earth they might do next. She also had the beginnings of an idea about how she might repay Emma, but she wasn’t sure. It relied on a guess that might well be wrong. Still, maybe she would ask Emma tonight. The worst that could happen was that it wouldn’t come to anything, and if that was so, she’d think of something else. She wasn’t doing too badly, looking after Henry. He was happy and safe. Perhaps that would do for now…

 

She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of the door. 

 

“Hello,” Emma sing-songed as she let herself in. She wondered how Regina had got on. She was hoping Henry had just slept-

 

She blinked. 

 

The apartment was a bomb site. Actually, it was worse. A bomb site would have been tidy compared with the chaos that had once been her home. 

 

The floor was  _ covered  _ with toys, books, and some of the clean laundry. The rest of the laundry was still on the couch, covered in puke (as were her book, newspaper, and couch cushions). There were other spills, and the place was littered with used tissues. Emma’s eyes found the kitchen area, which also had tissues, wet wipes, apple bits, cutlery, and several plates and bowls, spread over the table and counters. The faucet was running, the milk carton was out, the refrigerator door was wide open… 

 

“ _ What happened? _ ” Emma gasped. 

 

Regina looked up serenely. 

 

“We’re fine - what do you mean?” 

 

Emma tried not to explode (in a similar way that everything she owned already had, by the looks of things). 

 

“What happened to my apartment?” 

 

Regina looked around. “Oh, I… I was just thinking about Henry. I’ll clean up-”   
  


“No, don’t bother,” Emma snapped, closing the front door and going over to put the milk away, close the fridge, and turn of the faucet. She started picking up all the trash. 

 

“Emma, I’ll help you-”   
  
“Sit down, Regina!” Emma shouted. 

 

Henry had been drowsing, but this woke him instantly. 

 

“Momma!” he exclaimed. 

 

Emma carried on cleaning. She was  _ mad _ . She didn’t even know why, she just… 

 

Regina sat on the floor, stunned, trying to entertain Henry as Emma moved through the room like a demented whirlwind, cleaning everything in her path. He pulled away from her. 

 

“Want Momma,” he said crossly. Regina let him go, slumping back, feeling entirely useless. She breathed in. Gods, what was that smell? Oh. She picked at the baby vomit in her hair. To use Emma’s word,  _ shit _ . 

 

“ _ What did you do in here? _ ” Emma yelled from the bathroom. It came out more aggressively than she’d meant, and she hadn’t meant it kindly. 

 

Regina heard the yell, had no answer, and burst into tears. To think she’d been  _ proud  _ of changing Henry’s diaper by herself. How could she have thought that she’d done well today? She’d barely kept Henry from screaming, she’d destroyed the apartment, she’d abused all of Emma’s hospitality, and she’d expected credit for turning Emma’s home into a catastrophe. 

 

Emma came out of the bathroom and looked around for her son, who was playing happily, and Regina, who was-

 

Curled up in a ball in the corner, sobbing. 

 

Emma froze. She replayed the last ten minutes. Then she replayed  _ her  _ first morning with Henry (when he had been in excellent health and unable to walk). Then she thought about Regina and her insecurities, about herself and her strengths, and about staying here. She thought about how she had sounded when she walked through that door, about every moment of communication, and then she was on the floor beside Regina, wrapping her arms around her and begging her forgiveness. 

 

Regina tried to pull away. Emma let her, but didn’t back off too much. 

 

“I’m so sorry, Regina. I wasn’t thinking, I was stressed but that’s no excuse. You did so good, you really did, look how happy Henry is, I just… I was just an asshole, Regina, and you shouldn’t be upset, you should be mad, at me. I’m an ungrateful, uh, peasant, and you helped me out so much this morning, you must have worked so hard.”

 

Regina bit her lip. “You’re wrong. You’re not an asshole.”

 

Emma shook her head. “I am. Just now, I was the exact definition of an asshole. You, on the other hand, are perfect and wonderful and amazing and please, please, would you forgive me?” 

 

Regina leaned against the wall. “I… What am I doing?” 

 

Emma reached her hand out, close enough for Regina to take. Regina paused, then accepted the gesture, entwining their fingers. 

 

“Really, you did so well. I was way worse when I first had Henry. I love what you’ve done with his outfit, by the way, the red socks thing.” 

 

Regina managed a small smile. “I don’t even know what the words on his sweater really mean.”   
  
“It’s a baseball team,”   
  


There was a pause. Then, “What’s baseball?” in a very small, embarrassed voice. Emma laughed. 

  
“A fantastic game, which I will teach you at the earliest opportunity.”

 

“So… I can still stay?” 

 

Nothing could stop Emma from hugging Regina this time. 

 

“Yes, of course you can still stay,” Emma said, tears prickling her own eyes. She moved back. “And you know what?” she added, looking Regina right in the eyes. “This is important, actually. You have to know… Even if I was still mad, even when I was, stupidly, mad, I still wanted you to stay. I will  _ always  _ want you to stay. No matter what I say or do, never doubt that.”

 

“Do you really mean that?” Regina breathed.

 

Emma nodded emphatically. “I do, Regina, I swear to you. I will never stop wanting you with me.” 

 

Regina felt herself crying again. “I’m sorry, Emma, I just…”   
  
“It’s okay,” Emma said gently. Henry pottered over to them, wanting in on the cuddle. They held him close. 

  
“Pincess Dina sad?” he asked. 

 

Regina stroked his hair. “No, darling. In fact, I think I might be the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.” 

 

BREAK

 

Note: I’m back. Thank you so much for waiting. 

  
  
  


__  
  


 


End file.
